Shoetree



May 16, 1939.

E. J. BAAS 2,158,394

SHOETREE Filed May 12. 1938 b'clmund, J Baas,

atenteoi May 16, 1939 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOETREE.

Edmund J. Baas, Rochester, N. Y.

Application May 12, 1938, Serial No. 207,592

2 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to shoe forms, most commonly known as shoe trees, and has more particularly to do with those employing full toe and heelportions which may be expanded and contracted by the operation of a single lever having a substantially horizontal position lengthwise of, and along the tree, in the expanded eifective position of the parts within a shoe in use.

In devices of the above character it is common and indeed necessary that the toe and heel portions be connected by a member with respect to which the heel portion is lever-actuated in its movements between expanded, effective position and contracted position during non-use. It is also necessary for inserting the toe portion in, and removing the same from, a shoe, that such connecting member be in pivotal union with the toe portion in a manner permitting the connecting member to be swung vertically.

Among the further features of a shoe tree of the above type is the provision of spring means for placing tension on the parts and permitting limited movement under such tension independent of the lever-actuation thereof.

An object of the present invention is the provision of an arrangement capable of ready, easy assembly, which will be simple and inexpensive and at the same time possess maximum efficiency and durability.

A further object is the provision of an arrangement permitting of the use of a spring tensioning means which will be strong and effectively enter into the practical efiiciency of the shoe tree in use.

A still further object is the provision of means for efficiently maintaining the actuating lever in its operative position without danger of accidental release.

With these and other objects in mind, the invention resides in the features of construction and arrangement of the several parts to be now described in detail by reference to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification, and in which,

Figure l is a side elevation of the improved shoe tree.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of the connecting member and operating lever in detached relation.

Figure 4 is a central, vertical, longitudinal sectional view with the heel part elevated as in .of shoe styles and shapes.

placing the shoe tree within and removing the same from, a shoe, and,

Figure 5 is a similar view showing the shoe tree in effective position within a shoe.

Referring now particularly to Figures 1 and 2, 5 the toe and heel portions H3 and II of the shoe tree are shown in the usual external form or shape which may, of course, be changed to a considerable extent, if so desired, with the change These portions it and II have aligned longitudinal bores 12 and I3 to respectively receive the forward and rear ends of a cylindrical connecting member [4 which it is possible according to the present construction may be formed. of a single piece of wood.

It is preferred however that the connecting member M be, as shown, formed by a metallic tube or rod provided adjacent to its forward end with opposed longitudinally slotted side openings [5 through which a pivot pin it extends. This pin is anchored laterally partially through the toe portion lil, which latter has its upper rear section provided with a slot ll permitting connecting member Hi to swing vertically on the pin I'B as a pivot. The bore [2 of the toe portion H) is extended substantially forwardly beyond the forward end of the connecting member M to provide for the seating of a coil spring l8 whose rear end engages the said forward end of the connecting member under substantial normal tension.

The mounting of spring l8 in the above manner admits of ready assembly in the first instance as well as ready replacement should such be necessary, and furthermore admits of the use of a heavy spring of approximately the full diameter of the bore 12 capable of forcibly resisting forward movement of connecting member [A at all times.

The heel portion l I has its forward portion ver- 40 tically slotted, its slot [9 bisecting its bore it for the major portion of the length of the latter. Within this bore the rear portion of the connecting member I4 is also provided with longitudinally slotted side openings 20 in opposed relation along a portion of the length of vertically slotted openings 2| receiving the cam-slotted head 22 of the actuating lever 23. I

The handle portion 24 of lever 23 projects above the connecting member l4 and its head 22 is pivotally connected to said member by a horizontal pivot pin 25 extending through an opening 25a of said head, and fixed through openings 25b in the connecting member forwardly of its side openings 20. A transverse pin 24a is anchored in the heel portion H, and extends through the slotted openings 2|] and also through the cam slot 26 of the lever head 22, and this cam slot which inclines downwardly away from the pivot 25 of the lever, has at its lower end a slightly angular terminal portion 21.

Thus, with the parts in the retracted position of Figure 1, with the lever upstanding in its rearmost position, it is an easy matter to insert the tree in a shoe, by first inserting the toe portion l0 and then pressing the heel portion downward- 1y into the rear portion of the shoe. Then, by moving the lever forwardly, the toe and heel portions IB and l l are gradually separated under cooperation of the cam slot 26 and pin 24a.

As the lever swings downwardly onto the connecting member l4 to the position shown in Figure 5, with the toe and heel portions in the expanded shoe-gripping position of the parts, the pin 24a is received within the angular end 2'! of the cam slot and thus, in cooperation with the tension placed upon the parts in this position by the spring l8, a substantial latch is completed, avoiding any danger of accidental displacement of the lever even in the event the shoe is dropped in handling.

It is obvious from the foregoing that the parts are capable of ready, easy assembly and that both of the inserted pins I 6 and 24a are placed through slotted openings in the present arrangement and these readily replaceable pins receive all moving wearing contact of the parts through which they extend. Moreover the only operations necessary on the tubular connecting member [4 are perforating operations.

What is claimed is:

1. A shoe tree comprising a toe part and a heel part having aligned longitudinal bores, the forward portion of said heel part having a vertical slot and the rear portion thereof being otherwise solid, a connecting member having its opposite ends extending into said bores and provided adjacent to its forward end with longitudinally slotted side openings, a coil spring seated in the inner end of the bore of the toe part, beyond, and against the forward end of said connecting member, a pivot pin laterally within the toe part and extending through said slotted openings, said toe part having a vertical slot the width of, and above, its bore, into which the connecting member is hingedly swingable, said connecting member having longitudinally slotted vertical and horizontal openings intermediate its ends and spaced forwardly of its rear end, and having a portion rearwardly of its said openings projecting at all times within the said rear portion of the heel part, a lever disposed and having swinging guiding movement in the vertical openings of said member and the slot of the heel and pivotally joined to said connecting member at a point forwardly of the horizontal openings, said lever having a cam slot rearwardly of said pivot, and a pin laterally within the heel part and extending through the horizontal openings of the connecting member and the cam slot of the lever.

2. A shoe tree comprising a toe part and a heel part, said toe part having a longitudinal bore and a vertically slotted opening at the rear end of the bore and said heel part having a longitudinal bore therethrough and having its forward portion provided with a vertical slot, a

tubular connecting member of a single diameter throughout having its forward end pivoted in the vertically slotted portion of the toe part at the rear end of the bore of the latter and movable ino and out of said bore when in a position aligned therewith, a spring seated within the bore of the toe part and abutting the forward end of the connecting member to resist movement of the latter into the bore, the rear end of the connecting member extending at all times into the bore of the heel part to a point substantially beyond the forward slotted portion of said heel part, a lever having a portion extending through vertically slotted openings intermediate the ends of said connecting member and pivotally connected to the latter within the slotted forward portion of the heel part and having a cam slot, and a pin anchored transversely through the forward portion of the heel part and extending through the cam slot of the lever and through longitudinally disposed slotted openings horizontally of the connecting member.

EDMUND J. BAAS. 

